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IDPH News Release

Sergeant Bluff pediatrician honored as CDC “Immunization Champion"

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local public health agencies across Iowa in recognition of the 25th National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 27-May 4, 2019. This annual observance highlights the importance of protecting infants from vaccine-preventable diseases and celebrates the achievements of immunization programs in promoting healthy communities.

In conjunction with NIIW, CDC has established the Childhood Immunization Champion Award recognizing individuals who make a significant contribution to improve public health through their work. Iowa’s 2019 Childhood Immunization Champion is Dr. Ashlesha Kaushik.

Dr. Kaushik, a pediatrician with UnityPoint in Sergeant Bluffs, is a highly respected leader on immunization issues. She is involved in managing infections and promoting immunization in underserved rural and urban children in Northwestern Iowa. Dr. Kaushik has been a passionate flag bearer for prevention of infectious diseases in children, educating not only her patients, but also future physicians and the community about the importance of childhood vaccines.

Health care providers like Dr. Kaushik are the key to high infant immunization rates in Iowa. According to the CDC National Immunization Survey, 71 percent of Iowa 2-year-old children have received the recommended vaccines. A doctor’s recommendation remains the number one reason parents make sure their children receive all of the recommended vaccines. For more information about IDPH’s Immunization Program, visit http://www.idph.iowa.gov/immtb/immunization. For more information on Dr. Kaushik, visit http://bit.ly/2UODw5A.